UN: Syrian regime blocked 60 pct of aid convoys in May

UN official says Assad regime’s actions are ‘simply a way to further punish civilians’

ANKARA (AA) – The Syrian regime has allowed only 14 out of 35 UN aid convoys in May, a senior UN official said.“Deliberate interference and restrictions by the parties, most notably the Syrian Government, continue to prevent effective aid delivery,” Stephen O’Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said on Friday.The UN official described the Assad regime’s actions as “simply a way to further punish civilians”.The Assad regime’s UN representative, Bashar al-Jaafari, has denied the allegations.O’Brien said the UN has already submitted its aid plan for June, aiming to reach 1.1 million people in 34 besieged areas.“I call on the Syrian Government to approve this plan in full and to remove any and all conditionalities, not least as to the amount or type of aid that can be delivered,” the UN official said.Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since 2011, when the regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with disproportionate force.